It has just been announced on the BBC live testing page that John Surtees has died.

There is much in the top flights of firstly Motocycling and F1 that has been affected by him in one way or another. As the only person to have won the top championship in both fields he stood alone but then added to his talents by setting up his own F1 team.

He was into motor sport for the whole of his life despite losing his son to a freak accident.

A sorry day.

It seems Incubus that whilst I was writing you were posting. Fortunately my thread appears to have been moved into yours.

such sad news & a big shock to hear it this afternoon. What a Gentleman & Legend of motorsport with tributes all over the world. Cant see his achievements will ever be matched. after in a 8 yr spell winning 4x 500cc (moto gp) titles, winning 3 isle of man tt's, becoming f1 world champ & standing on Le Mans 24 podium

& shame John Surtees never got knighthood he deserved, but ill be watching the legends of F1 programme tomorrow

I only saw him live on a bike once, at Oliver's Mount at Scarborough. His style was immaculate and smooth, he was just way quicker out of the corner then came along the short straight where we were quicker than anyone else and braked into the following corner later that anyone else.

We also saw him racing in the Dutch GP when he came in third; we watched at one of the corners for quite a few laps, every lap Surtees clipped the apex as shown by a puff of sand as he went through. We were also present at a couple of German GPs at the Nurburgring, his driving was as smooth as ever, both were wet races with him getting a fifth and a second.

It must have been devastating for him when his son was killed but he used it to found and run the Henry Surtees Foundation for support and care for young racers.

He was still known to the current drivers, in particular there is a tweet from Nico Rosberg:

Very sad, can't believe it John. You had been so supportive of me all along! My thoughts are with your family. REST IN PEACE #johnsurtees

I was absolutely appaulled at the lack of coverage that was devoted to John Surtees; there was nothing on the BBC news (or sport) front page- this is a champion who completed a unique feat! No-one has matched Surtees before or since!